


Manipulations and Stipulations

by Nightstar208



Category: Reign (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 12:13:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11623299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightstar208/pseuds/Nightstar208
Summary: Her father's only wish was for her to marry, upon his death Mary Queen of Scots takes it upon herself to find her a suitable match. With no family remaining her only choice is to become one of Mary's ladies and await a marriage opportunity her father would be proud of. But sometimes we make mistakes and we end up paying for those mistakes for the rest of our lives.





	1. Prologue

Looking back in the mirror her sapphire blue eyes shone with excitement and eagerness, she was quite a beauty though she refused to enhance her features with makeup. Her red-brown hair against her olive skin tone and her shapely figure usually drew men into her. Enamored with her appearance, most simply walked away the moment she opened her mouth to spout her ideals. No man liked a woman with a mind, beauty wasn’t enough to overlook a strong minded female from a noble family.

 

“Blair, you have a visitor!” one of the young ladies called up the stairs to her. Blair looked to her chamber door a full toothy smile spreading as she raced down the staircase.

 

In the entryway stood a tall man white white hair, blue eyes, and olive skin that rivaled her own, his features similar to her own. A wore a crooked grin  as he watched her approached, his arms crossed, feet shoulder width apart. It had been along time since Blair had seen her father, she had heard he was in Paris on business but he had yet to visit her. Blair had grown up without a mother, and while her father did the best he could to raise her, the moment she was old enough he had sent her away to Paris to learn how to become a proper lady.

 

“Father!” she cheered happily. 

 

“I see you haven’t learned anything” he said sternly keeping her at bay, when Blair’s face fell he chuckled opening his arms to embrace her. She clung to the warmth of her father, his scent just as she remembered, pine and lumbar, it was very nostalgic. Eventually they had to break apart, he had come here for a purpose. 

 

“It’s been so long” Blair’s smile fell slightly as they sat around a table, servants brought tea and hor dourves. “I’ve missed you.”

 

“And i you but this isn’t a simple visit.” 

 

She knew where the conversation would lead, it's where all their conversations had led since she’d turned 13 years old. Though her father loved her dearly, he wanted nothing more than to see his daughter happily married. As much as he loved his daughter, he wasn’t able to take care of her for the rest of her life. On the verge of turning 16, she needed to marry soon, the older she got the harder it would be to make a potential husband look past her opinions. 

 

“I’m trying, father honestly. Finding a husband isn’t as easy as it sounds.” she groaned, slouching in her chair. 

 

“Men don’t want a lady with poor manners?” he father teased easily though there was a serious undertone. He could see the shame in her eyes and instantly felt guilty, he took his daughter's hand and squeezed to offer comfort. 

 

“I’m sorry father” she didn’t know what else to say, nothing could change his mind on the matter and nothing would make her lack of offers any easier. 

 

“The Queen of Scots has invited me and my men to party, with luck we might just find you a husband there.” he smiled. 

 

“What happens if i can’t find a husband?” Blair asked, nibbling on her lower lip, afraid of what the future might mean should she never marry. She was a woman in a time where women were the lesser being. Her father’s face turned grim for a fraction of a second before taking on a calm relaxed expression. 

 

“We will find you a husband.” he vowed. 

 

* * *

 

Dressed in a green plaid strapless gown, makeup done to compliment her features, and her hair down, her father always loved her hair down. She looked every bit the proper young lady, eligible for marriage, something her father could be proud of as she hung on his arm. It had been so long she was sure at this point he didn’t care if she married a Scot or a Frenchman as long as she married. Which is probably why she had been asked to dance by all of her father’s men and she complied. 

 

“Father, dance with me” she pleaded tugging on his hand. He hadn’t drank much yet he stumbled along after his daughter to dance with her as she had asked. 

 

He had always worried that he hadn’t been a good father, sending her to Paris shortly after her 10th birthday and only visiting her when it was convenient. Of course they sent letters back and forth, staying up to date with one another as best they could. The smile and laughter that tinged her cheeks red reassured his worries, his daughter was happy and she loved him. Their dance came to an end and he was rewarded with his daughters kiss upon his cheek. Before they could begin the next dance, Francis, the next King of France approached. 

 

“Lord McKenzie, your Queen would like a word.” Francis whispered in the ear of Blair’s father. 

 

“Can’t it wait? I haven’t seen my daughter in such a long time” Lord McKenzie tired to brush the blonde hair, blue eyed man off but he was persistent. Lord McKenzie sighed and nodded to him, Francis gave him a moment to speak with his daughter before following. “I’ve been given a room in the castle, stay there tonight and in the morning we shall discuss the matter of marriage.”

 

“Of course, father” Blair smiled sweetly, her father kissed her temple before heading away with his men. 

 

Now alone, Blair didn’t really know what to do but wait for someone to ask her to dance so she stood off to the side. She had learned rather quickly that being sidelined was an opportunity to learn people's secrets. Her eyes followed the many people as they conversed and toiled about, she didn’t notice when a woman came to stand besides her. 

 

“They’re very good aren’t they?” Blair turned to the blonde haired, brown eyed woman who had come to stand besides her.

 

“Pardon?” Blair asked a little confused.

 

“The woman flirting away the men?” the blonde asked.

 

“Oh, yes” Blair turned to look back at the dancers but the woman wasn’t done with her. 

 

“I’m Greer by the way.”

 

“Blair” she answered.

 

“I don’t recall having seen you about the castle before.”

 

“My first time, my father was visiting me in Paris when he recieved our Queens invitation.”

 

“Your from Scotland then” Greer perked up them and Blair thought she might try to be friendly with the woman. 

 

“I am however i’ve been living in Paris since was ten years old.” Blair offered her full attention to Greer. 

 

“To find a husband i’m sure” she smiled. “My friends and i moved here with Queen Mary and since we’ve all made matches. Some time here and you may just find one of your own.” 

 

“If only i had more time, my father and i are to return to Paris in the morning.” Blair yawned and it was then she realized how exhausted she had become. “If you excuse me Lady Greer, i should retire for the evening.”

 

“Of course.” A parting smile and they separated, Blair found the rooms left to her father easily enough. Sleep, however, refused to come to her, something didn’t sit right with her while she tried to force herself. Something was wrong, something was bothering her but she couldn’t possibly figure it out.

 

* * *

 

 

A knock on the door woke Blair from her sleep, she was groggy, her cheeks stained with tears, had she been crying in her sleep? She quickly wrapped a robe around herself and allowed the person in. The last person she ever expect to walk into her chambers entered, the fairest skin, brown hair and eyes entered. Blair had never meet her queen but last night she had seen her for the first time and now knew what she looked like. Blair fell into a bow.

 

“Your majesty, to what do i owe-” before she could finish her sentence she found her queens arms wrapped around her in a comforting embrace. Mary’s body began to shake and Blair knew she was crying. “Your majesty is their anything i can do for you?” Blair didn’t understand why her queen was seeking comfort with her, they were complete strangers. 

 

“I’m so sorry, if i had known …” Mary dried her eyes and stopped crying to look at Blair. “Your father has died.”

 

Blair should have been so lucky to have the Queen of Scots holding her while she wept but that was the farthest thing from her mind while she grieved her father. Even her queens promises of giving her refuge at French Court and helping her to find husband but none of it meant anything anymore, not without her father. 


	2. Chapter 2

Two years, two years is how long it had been since she’d lost her father and in all that time drastic changes had happened. Lola had been married and lost her husband only to have him die in a fire, her child turning out to be King Francis’s. Greer had married Lord Castleroy though that almost hadn’t happened, Greer had become Blair’s closest friend. It had broke her heart when Greer had been stripped of her title and removed from French Court, she had to begin repairing herself all over again. Then there was Kenna and her bad decisions, but Bash had been good for her while they had each other. Kenna’s relationship with a traitor had resulted in an unwanted pregnancy forcing her t leave French Court. 

And poor Mary, she had lost all her ladies but her and her husband, Blair was really the only one Mary really had anymore. But even Blair’s presence broke her heart at times because she was a constant reminder that her decision had murdered her countrymen, her decisions would lead men to their deaths. Mary, however, couldn’t be more grateful to Blair especially when Lola left French Court to free her family in England and Mary’s approaching marriage to Don Carlos of Spain. 

“I need your help, Blair” Mary held both of Blair’s in her own looking desperate. “I believe Don Carlos is lying about his condition in order to steal my crown.” Blair understood how dire the situation was, being a loyal Scot she could never allow it. 

“Just tell me what to do Mary” Mary searched Blair’s blue eyes, Blair would do anything she asked of her.

“I need you to remove the documents for the Crown Matrimonial, perhaps when Don Carlos notices it missing her will reveal his farce.”

“I will take care of it.” Blair promised and Mary knew she would because Blair, sweet and kind Blair would murder for her Queen. 

Blair entered the room in which the marriage ceremony would take place, the room was vacant save for the servants who were preparing. Blair smiled kindly at them keeping pleasantries as she focused on her main goal, the marriage contract that sat on the table in the middle of the room. Blair was able to find the designated parchment, discreetly she folded the paper and hid it in her bodice careful to remain unseen by those around her. Blair turned to one of the servants to distract them from her true purpose here.

“Is everything prepared for the wedding?” 

“Yes, my lady.” the servant whispered eyes cast down to show her the respect due her. 

“Thank you” Blair gave one last smile before leaving to help Mary dress and prepare for her doom. When Blair entered Mary was already dressed in a red gown to show her honor for Spain though she couldn’t be more unhappy with the Spaniard. 

“Is it done?” Mary asked a concerned desperation in her voice as she turned to see her entering. That dull ache of guilt washed over her at the memory of Lord Mackenzie and his fate and the fact that two years later Blair still remained unmarried though MAry had promised to find her a suitable match.

“Of course, My Queen” Blair smiled brightly, pulling the contract from her bodice. Mary closed her eyes in relief that Blair had accomplished the task without being caught, but she also felt the beginnings of annoyance at her. She had asked her several time to call her Mary but Blair had been trained to always address people by their titles. 

“Blair must i ask you again to forgo the formalities?”

“I apologize, Mary” Blair bit her bottom lip like she so often did when she was worried or felt bad. “Shall we go trick a prince?” Blair smirked offering her hand to Mary to walk hand-in-hand to the room.

Blair watched from the background as Don Carlos searched frantically through the contract for the paper she had removed only an hour ago. He crumbled the documents in his fists, enraged he threw them away and glared at Mary.

“You Jezebel!” Don Carlos advanced towards Mary, forcing many to step forward ready to aid her but Mary would have none of it. Blair watched in amazement as her Queen put the Spanish Prince in his place, reprimanding his attempt to steal her crown and murder her, breaking down his character, and attacking his kinky desires. 

“Go home” Mary practically growled at the Spaniard, him and his men leaving in a huff. Mary gave her a kind smile before leaving, Blair didn’t know what to do with the rest of her day now that Mary was free from the bonds of a courtship. Blair turned around, determined to busy herself with cleaning up instead of being alone with her dark thoughts. 

“Lady Mackenzie do i sense your hand in this?” 

Lord Narcisse had remained behind when everyone else left. Blair instantly tensed, since first meeting Narcisse she had been afraid of his wrath and successfully avoided him but it became harder since he had married Lola. Though Blair had witnessed his and Katherine’s dalliances and she worried for her friend. She would never do anything to cross Narcisse, she had seen the rage blazing in his eyes when he had discovered his son dead.

“Lord Narcisse, i assure you i don’t know what you mean.” Blair tried to step away from him but he side stepped to keep her in place, his wicked smirk plastered on his face. “If you’d excuse me, i must tend to my Queen.”

“I think your queen is quite alright.” Narcisse stepped closer to her, infiltrating her personal space. “I can’t help ponder, you do everything your queen asks yet she has failed thus far to find you a husband.”

“Finding a match can prove to be trying but i have had several options: the Prince of Conde, that turned out to be disastrous, then their was Lord Hugo but his ever wavering loyalty proved to be higher than expected. The most promising was Duke Schuler of Germany, that would have been a fine match but my refusal to convert to Protestantism though i was willing to be understanding failed to be acceptable. I have complete faith that Mary will find me a suitable man for me.”

“Well perhaps i could provide my aid,” he leaned in close to her ear. “I am, after all, Lord Chancellor.”

“I’m not sure i want any favors of you.” Blair tried to step around him but found herself pinned against the wall instead. Lord Narcisse’s eyes trying to coax her own to look upon his, but Blair trembled in fear but this fear wasn’t with him but herself. She was afraid of the desire beginning to fester within her, he wasn’t the first man to look at her with desire and he wouldn’t be the last but he was certainly the first that elicited a response. “Lord Narcisse, you are making me feel uncomfortable.”

“I apologize, Blair, that was not my intention. I had hoped the desire that gleamed in your eyes had been for me alone.” Narcisse’s had slowly pulled her skirt up, up, up until her entire leg was exposed. 

“You’re married” Blair breathed out heavily, his fingers roughly pressing into her thigh. “You’re married to my friend.”

“I love Lola, i do but my wife has left me,” he pondering the right word. “Unsatisfied.” 

“I’m sorry Lord Narcisse but i can’t.” the door opened to servants and she used the opportunity to bolt from the room, away from Narcisse and into her own chambers. 

The moment she was alone in her chambers she pushed everything but her desire away to worry about later. She leaned against the wall imagining what could have happened had they not been interrupted. Using her own hands to fulfill her desire, eyes closed picturing the how the scene should have unfolded, not stopping until she meet her release. The moment she did, she slide down the wall, sitting in a heap on the floor to let the sour emotions. How could she do this to Lola? To Mary, all of her ladies had disgraced themselves she couldn’t do that to her as well. Stephen Narcisse was a married man already cheating on his wife with Katherine, Blair couldn’t be anywhere near the dangers that were Lord Narcisse. 

She would avoid the conniving man as much as possible, and seeing as he disliked Mary so much that was her solution. In the odd chance that staying by Mary’s side wasn’t enough she would repeat the mantra in her head that he belonged to Lola. She just needed to be patience and have faith that Mary would find her a husband, she had the vow of a queen and that should be enough for her. But, she was worried about the new development. 

She had been afraid of him when they first met and in many ways she still was but she had come to sort of admire him. He was far more attractive than any of the men her Queen had tried to set her up with and he was powerful. The one sided attraction had always been just fine because she would never confess anything and Narcisse would never go after her, not knowing the friendship between Lola and herself. Now her mind betrayed her, thinking of what if’s, imagining things with him though she didn’t. Sitting in a heap on the floor as she did now, warding off Narcisse was going to be more difficult than she anticipated.


	3. Chapter 3

“Lord Dudley, my Queen if you’ll excuse me?” Blair looked to Mary for her approval to leave before doing such. Robert Dudley, Queen Elizabeth’s ex-lover, had been chosen by Elizabeth to be Mary’s husband and in exchange had named her as the successor to the English throne. Blair knew fairly well that you needed alone time to create a bond with someone however the Vatican didn’t seem to care as they tailed Mary and Dudley.

Blair was heading to her chambers when she spotted Narcisse at the other end of the hall heading towards her. His lips twitched up in a smirk as made a beeline straight for her, much to her displeasure. She turned to leave but she wasn’t getting away from him this time as she found herself in an empty bedchamber. After spending the day, watching Mary play pretend trying to be okay with the arranged marriage with a man she could never truly be happy with, Blair had come to realize some very important things. 

One, whomever Blair married would have been arranged and approved of by Mary but still not herself. While Mary would never allow Blair to be with anyone unsavory nor would she allow her to marry someone she couldn’t get along with. Blair would have been given ample opportunities to find love but she would always need someone else's approval for everything. But Blair would never be happy with a loveless marriage, she had had a loving family once and nothing less would due. 

Second, she’d seen the love that Francis and Mary had and learned what true love looked like. Now, seeing Mary having to engage with a man who was in love with another while she now loved Lord Blackwell, it was crushing. If she was to live out a life with a man whom she may never love, she was going to stop denying herself.

Thirdly, Lola had left Stephen having stated she was his wife in name only and no longer loved him. She had left France for England, refused to acknowledged his letters, they were all but separated. So, if Narcisse was offering her a few moments of happiness, why should she refuse? 

After so many tries, Blair gave in much against her better judgement and matched his actions. Kissing him with as much vigor as he kissed her, the movements quick and hurried as they kissed all the way to the bed. The moment he began to remove her clothing, her fear reared it ugly head. She was inexperienced, she been told the first time could be painful and she was slightly worried. 

“Narcisse wait,” she pushed him back enough to speak. His eyes were dilated from the building desire but she could still see the wheels turning in his head. 

“It’s alright, I’ll be gentle … this time.” he smirked.

They made quick work of their attire, and true to his word he was gentle with her taking care to her inexperience. Though he was impressed with her, once the pain subsided she offered to take control just as much as he did. The power shifting easily enough, she took as easily as she gave, she wouldn’t just sit there and force him to do all the work. It was a reminder to him that though her and Lola were similar, Blair was very much her own person apart from the ideals of a Scottish Catholic. 

“Are you alright?” Narcisse asked when he heard Blair wince as she sat up out of the bed. She adjusted herself carefully, an odd ache she had never before experienced surging. 

“I’m fine just a little sore.” Narcisse chuckled deeply from where he laid behind her on the bed. 

“It will pass in time.” he reassured her. “The more you engage in these activities the less the pain will feel.”

“You just want me back in your bed.” Blair retorted pulling her petticoat on. Narcisse was kind enough to tighten and bind the strings. 

“It's not my bed.” he smirked.

________________________________________

“Blair, I’ve been looking all over for you.” Blair turned around to find her Queen looking for her eagerly. 

“I’ve been distracted, I apologize.” Blair smiled sadly. Mary nodded her head indicating that they should continue walking the hall. Blair could feel Mary’s need to speak and knew she was looking for an empty room. They walked casually and found a room easily enough but Mary’s mind was reeling. 

“What is it Mary?”

“I am going home, with the Vatican's support I am able to hire mercenaries to protect me during the travels back to Edinburgh.” Mary paused to let the information to sink in. “I know I have no right to ask, I would like for you to return home to Scotland with me.”

“Home?” Blair sat in a chair, processing the information. She’d always dreamed of returning home but her father had wanted her to marry a rich man, would a rich Scotsman want her? All she had to offer was a large dowry, without a husband she couldn’t touch it, Mary was all she truly had. 

“Of course, I’ll accompany you home. Mary, you are all I have.” Blair felt bad when Mary’s expression turned remorseful, but Blair took her friends hands in her own and smiled. “We’re going home.”

“I’ve asked Bash to contact a mercenary he’s heard of, should everything go as planned we will leave by the end of the week.” 

“I will see to it that our belongings are packed.” Blair smiled and parted way with her Queen to begin preparations.


End file.
